The fun house

Imagine a house with all of your favourite things.  For me it would be great people, a decked out kitchen, food glorious food, and amazing wines.

I actually went to that house just recently.

The friends that I knew that lived there all worked in hospitality.  I didn't have dinner but it was bbq kangaroo on a bed of salad with an exquisite mash - and I love mash!  I did try a slice of the kangaroo and it was absolutely delish.

I did have a glass of wine though, and the red that came out was just amazing.  So smooth, it was probably one of the best red wines I have drunk in awhile.  Next came out a bottle of white and even then it was pretty nice.

I couldn't say no to dessert, titled a Rhubarb Suprise, it resembled a crumble and served with a dollop of cream.  Absolutely fantastic.

And that's what you get for living in a hospitality house - a chef, a restaurant manager and a cocktail bartender.  The kitchen is decked with a KitchenAid, Global knives, espresso machine and variety of commercial cooking pans and pots.

What I also adored was the company and conversation.  We looked up words in Spanish we didn't know, talked about travel, outdoor climbing and just the love of life.  We talked about food, lots of food, wine, and dining out.  We chatted about friends, and being friends and before I knew it, midnight was approaching and I needed to head off home.

I went home thinking how lovely it must be to be in a home full of life, love and shared interest in food and wine.

Getting Older

I'd never thought I would see the day when I would look at others around me and think to myself 'where did my life go?'

It's a scary thing looking at the the other side of 30, thinking to myself 'goodness 40 is just SO old'.
I try and make myself feel better about it but I don't, it doesn't work, alcohol and partying is only temporary.

It's so hard nowadays to go out and feel so much older, I look at others around me and wish for my own youth back, and how I if I could live it again I would do it so differently.

I look at my friends, nearly 10 years younger, but they are my friends who I confide in, who I get along with, and who are also budding artists, film makers, editors and lawyers.  Then I look at me.  10 years ago I didn't achieve and hadn't achieved as much as my younger friends and think have I really wasted my chance and opportunity of making it in the world?

Yes I have travelled, lived and loved but what of achievement? Personal goals, career and material status, a house, a family of my own and a bank account with savings?

That I have none of.  I still live day to day, I still plan an overseas trip every year and I still look forward to the weekend like most twenty somethings do.

I try and not get myself down thinking about it but it's so hard - DAMMIT - it's REALLY hard.

I think of how many years left before there would be no chance of me meeting someone, having a family, or even how much time I have left to save up superannuation.... not that many.

I used to think that I would be ok.  That everything would work out in the end, but I don't really believe that now.  Instead I am not sure what I believe in, I am grasping onto anything that would make me feel young, only it would leave me empty and depressed and hate how everything just passes and I just get older and older.

Is this a wasted post too?

I read a lovely post just then and I've decided to also do a little post on friendship.  This fellow blogger actually confronted her friend and as a result they have become friends again.

As for me well we are still friends, but I sometimes wonder if it is me that is making all of the effort and I wonder if my efforts are really worth it at all.

I always think, what's wrong with me? Am I just not the person I used to be, the person that they liked or did I use to be the person that they would talk about and it has never really grown into a friendship anyway, rather just an acquaintance to catch up with once and awhile?  Text messages ignored, being left whilst she flutters about, or even the constant reminder that we should be doing this or that, it just feels that maybe, just maybe I am not the friend she wants to be doing it with.

I believe that as friends, like the post I just read, should always be there for each other, it's not really a big responsibility, rather just an automatic response because you are friends, after all a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Dating Game Phase 3

I don't know why but I am going to have dinner with a guy this Saturday.  Again, never met him, only online and we spoke on the phone yesterday for awhile.  He wanted to ensure that I didn't sport a Malaysian accent.  For some reason he can't stand my native accent and I am tempted to put one on for the entire time I am with him Saturday night.

This Saturday will also see the departure of a long lost friend Monty as she heads overseas to live.  I realised earlier in the week that I had double booked myself and now will plan on making an appearance to both the dinner and the farewell.

I haven't seen Monty for a few years now, she was the one I was with when I first met the ex-boyfriend whom I have previously mentioned, you can read an example of this here.  Funnily enough I have been thinking about him a lot lately, almost calling him or sending him a text.  It was hard not to make contact, and I am glad that so far I have not made the move.

Back to the 'date'.  I am not sure if he is my type at all.  But he seemed normal in his photo, and we both like people who can spell.  Geez, I wouldn't say that I am a spelling bee, but there are so many people out in the world that either can't spell or choose to not care enough and allow for spelling mistakes to be a representation of who they are.

The deal was to take him to my favourite Malaysian restaurant and he will take me to his favourite Vietnamese restaurant.  I happily recommended me taking him first seeing as his restaurant is in Parramatta.   Well I am not going to invite him over to my place, where the best Malaysian food resides so I made plans to go to Mamak.  I haven't told him about the line that sometimes go as far as a few doors away :)

The plan is to head back to Monty's farewell (with or without him) and then have an early night in.

Looking forward to it!

Yours truly,

Miss A

The new diet plan

So I figure I will try and do the best I can to follow the South Beach Diet this week, at least it's a start.  It's not a hard diet to follow but I do find it hard to fit it into my social life.

For example the week just past, I found myself catching up with the Smiz who I haven't caught up with properly for awhile.  We went to Super Bowl in Chinatown, down right cheap Chinese food and of course carb central.  We had what we both dubbed a white person's dinner:

1. Spring Rolls
2. Steamed Prawn Dumplings
3. Beef Brisket Noodle Soup
4. Combination Chow Mein

and not to forget a bottle of Red.

It was such a great night to catch up with someone who I always love having a chat to and with everything that happens in our lives, we just don't catch up as often as I'd like to.

We swapped stories about our new jobs, how we were both going, and it actually seems not too long ago that we both worked in the same club together.  We briefly touched on the old club days also.  Fun times, friends made and how much things have changed.

I filled her in on my new role in a boutique agency, how different it is and how much more I am doing in terms of input, thinking, and how I feel I am able to contribute so much more to all the campaigns I am working on.

We spoke in excitement of the new bar opening we will be attending next weekend along with my bestie who will be coming to Sydney for a fleeting visit.

How could I have said no to catching up with this gorgeous friend of mine who I haven't seen for ages all because I had to abstain from carbs and alcohol?

So I have come up with a new plan, and it's pretty simple really... 'To Try My Best'.

Cut out the carbs best I can. And when I do find myself in a position where I do find it hard, try my best to only have a small portion.  It's only five days after all.  Included in that plan is to make the gym, increase cardio and increase frequency to more than twice a week.

Yours Truly,

Miss A.